The Clintons thought they could dodge Congress like they've dodged every scandal for thirty years.
They missed depositions in October, blamed funerals in December, ignored new dates in January.
Then nine Democrats broke ranks and voted to hold them in contempt – and Bill and Hillary caved within 48 hours.
Bipartisan Contempt Vote Broke The Clinton Shield
Rep. James Comer had the Clintons backed into a corner.
After six months of excuses, the House Oversight Committee moved to hold both in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The contempt vote was supposed to be partisan theater.
Instead, nine committee Democrats joined all Republicans to advance Bill Clinton's contempt resolution in a stunning 34-8 vote.
Three Democrats even voted to hold Hillary in contempt, pushing that resolution through 28-15.
Maxwell Frost, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Summer Lee, Stephen Lynch, Ayanna Pressley, Emily Randall, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, and Rashida Tlaib all said nobody is above the law.
Not even the Clintons.
Comer told Fox News the Clintons didn't see it coming.
"To their surprise, a majority of Democrats on the Oversight Committee voted with all the Republicans," he said Tuesday on The Ingraham Angle.
Those Democrats met with Epstein's victims who wanted everyone connected to the predator questioned under oath.
Bill Clinton appeared in photographs with Epstein and took multiple trips on his private jet in 2002 and 2003.
The Clintons have never been interviewed about any of it.
Congressional Subpoena Precedent Democrats Created
Nine Democrats just established that Congress can haul in former presidents, first ladies, and their families under threat of criminal charges.
Democrats are already celebrating what they built.
"We are absolutely going to have Donald Trump testify under oath" when Democrats take power, California Rep. Ted Lieu told NBC News Tuesday.
Rep. Maxwell Frost was blunter: "We will follow it… Donald Trump, all of his kids. Everybody."
Comer admitted it sets a precedent.
The last former president who testified before Congress was Gerald Ford in 1983 discussing the Constitution's bicentennial.
That's it.
One time in forty-three years.
Trump's lawyers successfully fought off a Jan. 6 committee subpoena in 2022 by citing decades of legal precedent protecting former presidents from congressional testimony.
The committee withdrew that subpoena rather than force it through the courts.
Now there's no precedent protecting anyone.
Why The Clintons Agreed To Filmed Depositions
The Clintons tried everything to avoid testifying.
They argued the subpoenas were invalid and politically motivated.
They offered written statements instead of in-person testimony.
They proposed a four-hour interview in New York with limited scope.
Comer rejected every offer.
The House Rules Committee was advancing contempt proceedings to a full House vote when the Clintons' lawyers sent an email saying they'd comply.
The depositions are scheduled for February 26 and 27.
Both will be transcribed and filmed, with full audio and video released publicly.
"Every American is going to be able to watch the entirety of this deposition," Comer said.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's plane at least 16 times according to CNN analysis.
Recently released DOJ files show frequent communications between Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton staffers from 2001-2004, including what officials described as lewd email exchanges.
One photo shows a shirtless Clinton in a hot tub with someone DOJ officials identified as an Epstein victim.
The investigation focuses on what the Clintons knew about Epstein's sex trafficking and Hillary's role overseeing international anti-trafficking efforts as Secretary of State while Epstein operated with apparent impunity.
Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, but they've never answered questions under oath about their relationship with the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019.
Democrats Vow Trump Subpoena After House Oversight Win
Democrats are treating this like victory even as they hand Republicans ammunition.
Rep. Jamie Raskin noted Democrats issued a Trump subpoena during Jan. 6 hearings and he refused with no consequences.
"It's clear that past presidents are not off limits for subpoenas," Raskin told NBC News.
Rep. Mark Pocan was direct: "This will make Donald Trump happy in the short term, but in the long term, a year from now, we have subpoena power."
The White House brushed off the threats.
"These Democrats – suffering from severe cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome – should focus on implementing good policies, like President Trump is, not falling for blue-anon conspiracy theories," spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Tuesday.
"These antics are why Congressional Democrats have record low approval ratings."
But the precedent is set.
Congress can now compel former presidents to testify under oath with contempt charges threatening fines up to $100,000 and potential jail time.
All because nine Democrats wanted the Clintons held accountable more than they wanted to protect their party's future ability to shield its own from congressional scrutiny.
Sources:
- Max Bacall, "Bill and Hillary Clinton faced 'surprise' from Democrats calling for Epstein testimony, says Rep Comer," Fox News, February 4, 2026.
- Scott Wong, Melanie Zanona, Sahil Kapur, and Ryan Nobles, "After Republicans push Clintons to testify on Epstein, Democrats warn they'll haul in Trump," NBC News, February 3, 2026.
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Chairman Comer Announces the Clintons Caved, Will Appear for Depositions," February 3, 2026.
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Oversight Committee Republicans and Democrats Hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in Contempt for Defying Lawful Subpoenas," January 21, 2026.